Cigarette-tipping machine.



I. CALLAGHAN. CIGARETTE TIPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8 I9I3.

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' CIGARETTE TIPPING MACHINE.

. APPLICATIGN FILED APR. 8. I9I3. I

Lmg famed July 24,1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I. CALLAGHAN.

CIGARETTE TIPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8| 1913.

Patented tTuly 24, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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I. CALLAGHAN.v 'CIGARETTE TIPPIIIIG MACHINE.

Patented July 24, 1917A APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1913- 5 SHEETS-SHEETv 5.

JAMES CALLAGHAN, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

CIGARETTE-TIPPING MACHINE.

Application filed April 8, 1913.

To all whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, JAMES CALLAGHAN, a subject of the King of Grreat Britain, residing at the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Tipping Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in cigarette tipping machines, and the object is to provide means for applying tips of cork or other material to cigarettes with great rapidity and perfection of operation.

The device comprises essentially an endless belt upon which the cigarettes are fed from a hopper to the tipping mechanism, a .feeding and pasting device for the tipping material, and means for holding the cigarette during the tipping operation. Cooperating with these elements are means for cutting the tipping material into suitable lengths, means for folding the lengths partially around a cigarette, and means for pressing the material against the cigarette to complete the tipping operation.

Tn the drawings which illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same.

Fig. 3 is a right hand end elevation on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4L is a rear elevation of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a left hand end elevation of the tipping mechanism on the same scale as Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a fragment of the tippingwheel showing the first step of the tipping operation.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the second step of the tipping operation.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figs. 6 and 7, showing the third step.

Fig. 9 is a right hand end elevation of the tipping mechanism on the same scale as Figs. 3 and 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates the bed of the machine upon which all the parts are mounted. At the endsv of this bed are transversely ydisposed shafts 12 upon which are rigidly mounted drums 13 supporting the cigarette carrying belt 14. At the right hand end of the machine, the shaft 12 also carries in front of thebelt atipping wheel 15 and at Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2st, 191'?.

Serial No. 759,685.

the rear of the belt a ratchet wheel 16. A. power distributing shaft 17 is mounted at the front of the bed and is arranged longitudinally thereof. This shaft is connected by miter gears 18 with a cross shaft 19, extending to the rear of the bed. This cross shaft 19 is provided at the rear of the carrying belt la with an eccentric 20, having a pawl 21 fixed thereto at one end and at the other end engaging the ratchet wheel 16. By this means, the carrying belt 14 and tipping wheel 15 will be partially rotated through equal distances at regular intervals of time.

The cigarette carrying belt 14 consists of a plurality of short wide ,links 22 pivotally connected, and each provided on its upper surface with a cigarette holding groove 23. The width of the links 22 is approximately equal to the length of a cigarette, so that the cigarettes will be supported throughout their entire length and held against any relative movement by' the grooves in which they lie. The cigarettes are contained in a hopper' 2e mounted at the 'left hand end of the machine above'the belt 14, and feed out through an opening 25 at the bottom of the hopper into the grooves of the belt. The outlet of the hopper may be provided with a gate of any suitable form (not shown) for regulating the escape of the cigarettes.

The tipping wheel 15 is much narrower than the carrying belt 14, its width being approximately equal to the length of the tip which is to be applied to the cigarettes. This wheel comprises a central web 26 having a thick flange or rim 27 overhanging toward the front of the machine. This rim is serrated or divided into teeth 28 somewhat similarly to a gear with, however, the dierence that the flanks of the teeth are parallel, so that the spaces 29 between them are V-shaped. The top of each tooth is provided with a groove 30 corresponding with the grooves 23 of the carrying belt 11i, the teeth 28 being so spaced that these grooves will register with 'the grooves of the belt, so that cigarettes may be projected endwise from the grooves of the belt into the grooves of the tipping wheel. Each tooth of the tipping wheel is hollowed out, as indicated at 31, the aperture extending from the inner periphery of the rim to within a short distance of the bottom ofthe groove. This recess is brought into communication with the groove through a plurality of minute l With a plurality of tooth recesses 31.

` the joint between the suction box and tipy carrying` belt lll.

ping ivheel rim is made as nearly fluid tight as possible, it Will be seen that the onlyI air inlet 1s through the capillary apertures 32.

The tip pasting and feeding mechanismy is all mounted on a vertical frame 34 secured to the bed a short distance in front of the The tippingr ymaterial which may be cork, gold orsilver surfaced 'Ja )er or the like is are )ared in the form of a ribbon and wound on a spool carried by the frame Se. The ribbon of tipping material designated 36 passes doivnwardly from the spool under a double flanged idler roll 37, and over a similar roll 88, above Which is mounted a knurled `pastingroll 39, the upper portion of which projects practically through the bottom of a paste reservoir e() and carries the paste out by means of its roughened surface. The tipping material after passing under the paste roll passes between a pair of knurleddischarge rolls -ll and 42 into a trough 43, through which it slides onto the tipping Wheel 15. The material is prevented from escaping from the trough, and is also pressed down onto the tipping Wheel by a gravity actuated pivoted arm ete. rlhis arm also slightly retards the movement of the material, so that sufficient slackness is main tained to enable the material to be drawn down into the grooves of the Wheel by the suction. The upper discharge roll Lll is mounted at one end of a bellecrank lever e5, the pivotal end of Which is connected to a tensioned spring 4:6 which operates to press the roll itl downwardly againstv the roll 42. The paste roll 39 and lower rdischarge roll e2 are provided ywith small chain Wheels e7 and 4S respectively, over which an endless chain t9 passes to a drive Wheel 50 mounted on the cross shaft 19. llt will be noted in Fig. l that the Wheel t8 of the discharge roll yis slightly smaller than ythe Wheels t7 and 50 Which are of equal size, so that the discharge roll Will turn a trifle faster than the paste roll, and thus keep the material in tension. The relative speeds of the various parts of the machine are necessarily such that the tipping material is pasted at exactly the same speed that it is used. The slightly increased speed of the discharge rolls therefore coperates with the presser arm de to maintain the slackness previously described.

A disk 51 is rigidly mounted on the rear end of the shaft 19 and is provided on its rear side with a cam track 52, karranged to travel under a roller 53 carried on the free right hand end shaft 12. A bracket GO is secured to the top of this post and overhangs the carrying belt 14, in which position it carries a vertical guide 61in which a slide 62 is mounted. A short shaft 63 is journaled near the base of this bracket, and

carries at opposite ends thereof arms 64: and

The arm 6e is provided at yits Vfree end with a roller GG in engagement with a cam track 67 formed in the front face of the disk 5l. The second arm 65 is pivotally connected at its free end to the vertical slide 62', which carries at its lower end a presse Y plate 68 adapted to press the cigarettes firmly down on the carrying belt and hold them against movement during the tipping operation. it will be noted springs 69 and 70 are provided to normally hold the spindle 57 and presser plate 68 out of engagement with the carrying belt 14. lt Will be noted that the cam track 52 is so ar anged as to iniiuence the arm 5ft slightly before the cam track 67 influences the arm Get. yThis sequence of operation permits the spindle 57 to slide ovethe cigarette carrying belt and project a cigarettee thereon into a groove 30 of the tipping` Wheel, and then return to 'its original position before the holding plate G8 descends and clamps the cigarette in this projected position.

The tipping and tip material cutting mechanism are mounted on a horizontal slide 'T1 reciprocatable transversely ofthe bed in a guide 72, rigidly mounted on the bed. The power distributing shaft 18 passes through this guide, and the slide 71 is suitably slotted, as indicated at 73, for the passage of the shaft and to permit of its reciprocation. Preferablyon the left hand side of the slide, cam 74 is rigidly mounted on the sha t 17 and bears against a roller 75 mounted on the slide. Suitable springs 76' are provided to hold the roller and cam consta-ntly in engagement. y

A vertical slide 77 is mounted by means of guides 78 on the right hand side of they horizontal slide atl the rear end thereof'. r'his vertical slide is connected by means ofy a link 79 with one end of a lever 8O pivoted intermediate its extremities to the horizontal slide 7l, and having at its opposite end a roller 81 positioned to be'brought into engagement With a cam 82 mounted on the shaft 17 when the horizontal slide 7l moves :Lesesaarearwardly. rl. spring 77a operates to hold the vertical slide normally ,in its lowered position, while a stop 88 limits the downward movement. Fixed to the slide is an arm 84k having the free end thereof bifurcated, as shown at 85. This bifurcated portion is so proportioned and positioned that when the slide is in itslowered position, the bifurcations will embrace the bottom of the uppermost tooth 28 of the tipping wheel 15, as indicated in Fig. 6. These bifurcations are each provided with a plurality of up wardly projecting pins 86 and 87, the pins 86 being on the left hand bifurcation and of such length that their upper extremities will lie flush with the top of the tooth 28, when the member carrying them is at the bottom of the tooth. rlhe pins 87 are only half the height of the pins 86. The cam 82, which controls the upward movement of the vertical slide carrying the arm 84;, is provided with a double lift, or more perfectly speaking, a two stage lift, as shown in Fig. 9, so that as the cam revolves it will first lift the arm 84C only7 half the height of the pins 86,

that is, until the tops of the pins 87 are flush with the top of the tooth. On the further revolution of the cam, the second or higher' stage of its lift engages the roller 81, and the arm 8st is lifted to its highest position with its top edge flush with the top of the embraced tooth.

The mechanism for cutting the tipping material into suitable lengths consists of a lower shear blade 88 fixed to the slide 71 and projecting rearwardly therefrom,V its uppercutting edge being on a level with the top of the uppermost tooth 28 of the tipping wheel and positioned to enter the recess 29 at the left of the tooth when the slide 71 moves rearwardly. The upper shear blade 89 is rigidly secured to a vertically disposed spindle 90 slidably mounted in extensions 91 of the slide 71. rfhis spindle andr the blade carried thereby are normally maintained in elevated position by a spring 92, held in compression between the top ofthe spindle and the upper extension 91 carrying the spindle. At the lower end of the spindle are a pair of spaced collars 98 between which the bifurcated end 94: of a lever 95 embraces the spindle. rlhis lever is pivoted at its rear end, and carries intermediate its ends a roll 96, adapted to be brought into engagement with a cam 97 fixed on the shaft 17 when the horizontal slide moves to its forward position.

An arm 98 is pivoted at its upper eX- tremity to the presser plate guide 61, and carries at its lower extremity a brush 99 positioned to engage the portion of the cigarette lying on the topmost tooth of the tipping wheel. A lever 100 is pivoted at its lower extremity to the machine bed, and at its upper extremity is pivotally connected by a link 101 with the arm 98 intermediate the ends thereof. This lever 100 carries near its lower end a roller 102, which is held in engagement with a cam 108 mounted on the shaft 17 by means of a spring 104. 'lhe normal position of the arm 98 is inclined with the brush at the left of the cutters 88 and 89. The cam actuated lever' 100 oscillates the arm, so that the brush travels bach and forth across the cigarette. The right hand end of the distributing shaft 17 is equipped with a fixed pulley 105 and loose pulley 106 in the usual manner.

The operation of the various parts of the machine will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, but in order to give a more perfect understanding of the invenn tion, the coperative action of the parts will be outlined. The cigarettes feed from the hopper onto the carryingbelt 14 and are carried thereby to a position behind the tipping mechanism. The tipping material is simultaneously pasted andfed pasted side uppermost to the tipping wheel at the point where tipping takes place. `When the tipping material isy fed over the teeth of the tipping wheel, the suction draws the material down to conform with the curvature of the groove 80. The eccentric driven pawl and ratchet mechanism moves the carrying belt and tipping wheel the space of one link,

which brings the tip covered tooth of the tipping wheel anda cigarette on the belt in line with the bifurcated extremity of the arm 84E. This ratchet mechanism permits the belt and tipping wheel to remain at rest in this position sufficiently long for the performance of the tipping operation. As soon as the belt comes to rest with the cigarette opposite the tipping mechanism, the plunger 57 presses the cigarette forwardly until it projects into the groove of the tipping wheel, and is thereby affixed to the pasted tipping material resting in the-bottom of the groove. The presser plate 68 then lowers and clamps the cigarette li'rmly against any movement during the tipping operation. Practically simultaneous with this movement, the slide 71 carrying the tipping and cutting off mechanism moves rearwardly, so that the bifurcations 85 of the arm 84 project into the recesses 29 on each side of the uppermost tooth of the wheel. rIhe cutting off device being mounted on the slide moves forward simultaneously, and the upper cutter 89 descends and severs from the ribbon of tipping material a length sufficient to go around the cigarette. The cutter 89 preferably remains in its lowered position until the tipping operation is completed, so as to be out of the way of the brush 99. |llhe relation of the parts is nowA as shown in Fig. 6. The arm 84 now rises through one half of its travel, so that the upper portion of the long pins 86 turns up the left hand end of the severed tip length, as clearly indicated in Fig. 7. The brush 99 operated by its cam actuated lever 100 moves to the right and presses the tip down on the cigarette,

f then returns to its original position pressing down `the tip in passing, andr thus completing the tipping. The slide V77 drops, the shear cutters separate, andr the slide 7l moves forwardly andwithdraws the tipping mechanism from engagement with the tipping Wheel. Simultaneously with this movement, the presser plate 68'rises and'liberates the cigarette. rThe `ratchet now becomes effective to shift the carrying belt and tipping Wheel, so that a fresh cigarette and length of tipping material are brought into register with the tipping mechanism.

`While this invention has beeny described with reference to the specific form shown in the drawing, it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the mechanism Without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, Yseveral simultaneousl ooerated ti pineq mechanisms ma be thereby, means operated by the cross shafty for intermittently shifting the belt and tipping Wheel, a double faced camon the crossr shaft, a lever operated by oneface of "said cam, a slidable spindle operated by said lever andarranged to projectcigarettes from the carrying belt onto the tipping vvheel Vbetvveen the shifts thereof, a post'l carrying said spindle, a bracket on said post, a guide on theubracket above the carrying belt, a clamping member slidably mounted in said guide, a clamp operating lever pivotally mounted in Vthe bracket andl engaging the second face of said cam, and means coperating with the tipping Wheel to apply tips to they cigarettes held by the clamping` means.

2. in a cigarette tipping machine, an intermittently moving grooved ycigarette support, a continuously operatingtip material pasting and feeding mechanism, a 'trough between the tip feeding mechanism and cigarette support, suction means arranged to hold pasted tip material in position on the cigarette support, a gravity actuated arm cooperating with the trough arrangedr to kof said teeth, a vacuum chamber positioned rity actuated arm vengaging the tip material support, `whereby the suction means will.

maintain the tipping material in conformity with the groovesof the cigarette support c during the shift thereof.

8. in a` cigarettetipping machine, a cigarette support having ya plurality of hollow teeth formed with their 'tops' gro'oved, capillary ducts extending from the interior of the teeth to the bottom of said grooves, a tip pasting mechanism positioned to feed pasted tip vmaterial over the grooved tops under the teeth and arranged to dran the tip material down intothe grooves ofthe support by suctionthrough'the ducts, a continuous drive for the tip material pasting and feeding mechanism, an intermittent drive forthe cigarette support, and a gravarranged to regulate the feed thereof Whereby the suction device will hold the material in the grooves'during movement of the cigarette support.

4,-. In a cigarette tipping machine, a bed, a magazine, a tipping Wheel, a belt arranged to carry cigarettes from the magazine to the Wheel, a guide fixed to the bed, a slide mounted therein, cigarette tipping mechanism,y a portion of said tipping mechanism being mounted on' saidslide, a shaft, and a cam on said shaft arranged ,to shift the tipping mechanism into and out of engagement with the tipping Wheel.k

5. nfa cigarette tipping machine, a bed, a magazine, a toothed cigarette support, a belt arranged to convey cigarettes from the magazineto the support, meansfor feeding kpasted tip material over the teeth of said support, means for projecting cigarettes from the belt onto the pasted material on the teeth of said support, a guide on the bed, a slide therein, tip severing shears mounted on said slide, tip end bending means mounted on said slide, shifting means for said slide arranged to position said shears, yand tip bending means between the teeth of the support, means for operating said shears and tip bending means successively, and means for pressing the tip ends down on the cigarette in overlapping relation after the bending operation.

6. ln a cigarette tipping` machine, a bed', a magazine thereon, a toothed cigarette support, a belt arranged to carry cigarettesy from the magazine` to said support, means for intermittently shifting said belt and support, means for feeding pasted tip'ma- Jferial over the teeth of said support, suction means for forming said tip material to receive the cigarette,"means for projecting thecigarettes from the belt into engagement With the tipping rmaterial, a presser plate positioned to clamp the cigarette in Lasagna projected position, a rigid lguide on the bed, a slide therein, shears mounted on said slide, a bifurcated member on said slide adapted to embrace a tooth of the cigarette support, pins on the bifurcations of said member arranged to successively bend the ends of the tip around the cigarette, a power shaft, a cross shaft driven thereby, a cam on said cross shaft, levers engaging said cam arranged to operate the cigarette projector and presser plate successively between the shifts of the belt, a cam on the power shaft arranged to shift the slide and position the shears, a tip bending member in engagement i between the teeth of the cigarette support,

cams on said shaft, operating levers for said shears, a bifurcated member pivoted to the slide in position to engage and disengage said second cams on the movement of the slide, a brush positioned to press the tip ends down on the cigarette in overlapping position, an operating lever for said brush, and a cam on the power shaft actuating said lever.

7. In a cigarette tipping machine, a toothed cigarette support, means for feeding pasted tip material over the teeth of said support, means for projecting cigarettes endwise onto said tip material on the support teeth, tip length severing shears, a bifurcated arm adapted to embrace a tooth of the support at the root thereof, pins on one bifurcation of said arm extending to the tooth top, pins on the other bifurcation eX- tending half way to the tooth top, means for positioning said shears and bifurcations between the support teeth, a brush, means operating said shears to sever a tip length, means for moving said bifurcated arm from the tooth root to the tooth top in two equal shifts whereby the tip ends will be turned into the path of the brush successively, and means operating the brush to press the tip ends against the cigarette as they are bent by the bifurcated member.

8. In a cigarette tipping machine, a toothed cigarette support, a bifurcated member adapted to embrace a tooth of said sup port, means for moving said arm into and out of engagement with the support, and a double lift cam arranged to move said bifurcated arms from the bottom to the top of the support tooth in two separate equal shifts during engagement between said member and the cigarette support.

9. In a cigarette tipping machine, an intermittently moving toothed cigarette support, ya stationary guide, a horizontally movable slide therein movable toward and away from the cigarette support, a vertically movable arm mounted on said slide, bifurcations on said arm adapted to embrace a tooth of the support, a shaft, a slide shifting cam thereon arranged to bring said bifurcations into engagement with the cigarette support between the shifts thereof, a cam on said shaft having two lifts of different heights, a lever pivoted to the slide and to the bifurcated arm, and a roller on said lever positioned to engage the two lift cam during engagement of the bifurcated arm with the cigarette support.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES CALLAGI-IAN.

Witnesses: v

STUART R. W. Aunis, Gr. M. MORELAND.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of @atenta Washington, D. C. 

